So Rashid announced he was making a donation to Dillon’s GoFundMe account, saying, “I donated because my faith teaches me to serve all humanity, be they Christian, Jewish, atheist, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu—whomever. Healthcare is a human right, and I hope and pray for nothing but healing for this family." Then he encouraged his 400,000 followers to do the same if they could. And they did. By March 17, the fundraiser had raised $22,635 of a goal of $26,237 from 679 givers, many citing Rashid's example as the reason.
Dillon was stunned and wrote to Rashid: "You humble me, sir, with your graciousness and surprisingly kind words. Given how I have misspoken about you in posts on Facebook, I am truly shocked that you have shared my wife and my plight with your supporters. I must now reassess my opinion about you and your platform, come November." Dillon asked Rashid to visit him, and, on March 8, the two met in person for the first time, with Dillon even requesting Rashid’s yard signs for his lawn. “An amazing week of eye and heart opening enlightenment, that I used to always have before 9/11," Dillon remarked online. "Qasim Rashid, whom I had previously opposed politically just because of the word Muslim, has opened my eyes that there are GOOD people in all walks of life." (from CBS News)
The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh once affirmed that “When others make you suffer, it is because they suffer deeply within themselves, and their suffering spills over. They need help. That is the message they are sending.” I daresay Qasim Rashid would agree. For his part, the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel tells us God is always ready to put a new heart and a new spirit within us. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, the real question is whether we are willing to let God do this. Thankfully, Oz Dillon was ready.
Prayer:
O Holy Three-in-One, who would bind us all in community, remove from us any hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh. Give us hearts capable of loving. Amen.
